UPLUKKUT IQALUKTUUTIAMIT. INUIN NAAMMAINAQTUT. UMIKHIMAJUT ILAGNIT HAVAKVIIT ILIHAKVIITLU NUTAQQIQIVIKLU TAMAITTA. TAMNA QALAQJUAKNIQ TIKINMAN NUNAVUNMUT. NIUVIKVIIT ANGMAUMAJUT QUANA. MUNAQHIVIK PALIHIMATKUTLU HIVAJAINNARIALGIT ANIARUVITLUUNIIT AJUQHALIRIRUVITLU. IVJARUTITIT ATUQPAKLURIT ANILIRUVIT HUMILIKIAK. TINGMIAT TIKIQATTAQTUT HULI.TAPKUAT TAKTILIQIJUT JALUNAIMILUUNIIT ITMINTINMILUUNIIT AUDLAKPAKTUT ANILRAUJUTLU. ULAPQILAITTUT ULAPQIVIKMILU AJUQNAKMAN. IHUMALAKNAQTUQ TAMNA AANNIARUT ILAA. TUHAKPAKLURIT TAAKTIITLU TAPKUAT KAVAMATKUNITLU TUHAQTITIJUMAJAIT INUNGNUN NUNAVUNMIT. UAQATTAQLURIT ALGATIT. PULAAQNAIKMAN TATJA. NAAMMAGLUHI. IHUMALUKPALAAQHIMAITTUMIK.
Good morning from the island where the rabbits, wolverines, polar bears, muskox and foxes are everywhere and fish are jumping.
It has been a very mild weather lately in Cambridge Bay as we see weather changes. With warmer weather we see more wildlife coming closer to the community. As you walk during lockdown you can see fishers out ice-fishing and jigging out on the ocean. The ice is thick enough in the bay area now and up at the lakes close by Cambridge Bay. There is plenty of tom cod and plenty to share with family and friends.
The streets and community is quiet during lockdown but you can see all our essential workers out there wearing their masks.
photo courtesy of Milt Watts
Thankful for municipal services this time of lockdown delivering water, sewage pump-outs and garbage pick-up. We also see our airline and cargo workers out there delivering groceries from the plane that arrives daily from Yellowknife. During this time of the pandemic, you watch those working and risking their health still working to give us what we need to take care of us in our communities. Even the nurses are busy with emergencies at all hours of the night and day. Our health centre is closed to the public except only emergencies will be seen, quana to the nurses doing their best they can to take care of patients and emergencies. Children are busy at home doing their homework from their teachers, so parents are making sure the school students/children are still learning even during this pandemic. To all you children and parents, quana for this.
During the pandemic many women are busy sewing, sewing, and sewing. Usually this time of year many seamstresses are busy making beautiful crafts, clothing for their families or for sale. Living in the Canadian Arctic is very expensive and many have to find ways to earn extra income just to get by for food. Nunavut has some of the world's most expensive food and in 2021 it is getting more expensive.
So therefore many mothers, grandmothers, daughters have to sew to sell to make things easier in getting more food. We have food banks now in the larger communities and here in Cambridge Bay you have to fill out a form and wait to be approved or phone ahead of time to the wellness centre to get food from the food bank. Please take note of their hours of operation during this lockdown and we hope no one is going hungry. Please check your family members or neighbours in a distance to see if they are OK. Anyone in Nunavut please do not go hungry. Do not be afraid or ashamed to ask for help. Even homeowners in Nunavut struggle to keep up with food insecurity for their families, so we hope our government and leaders make life much easier and less stressful to live in our own hometowns and places of employment.
We have many southerners who have moved to Nunavut to seek employment, having to leave their families just to get some income to survive in Canada. But we as Inuit have to go fishing and hunting to help with food. We as Inuit are use to our own country food diets and that is how we grew up, living and eating our own country food. Today Inuit still go hunting and fishing for their family and relatives and communities, when we as Inuit do not eat our country food we get sick physically and weak. So for our Elders who are sent down south to Elder homecare facilities, please think of them. Yes we have to send many of our elderly south now because there is no Elder-care facilities or otherwise they are full and no more room in them. Life has changed so much for us Inuit compared to our ancestors, everyone have moved to communities and no longer live out on the land. Seems more stress for our Elders, but this is what is it today. So as soon as spring and summer comes all our Elders and families and cabin owners and those who want to live in tent frames is so much needed.
Anyone that is out on the land at their cabins and tent frames is at peace and healing. It is so special time for everyone out there. It is most special time for Inuit to be out there.
Be safe. Take good care of each other. When I am given country food, I am so thankful and happy in my heart and treasure what I am given, especially by my grandson Felix, my hunter and fisherman and country food provider. Very proud Nana. Quana Akana for everything. So very proud of you. Keep up the good hunting and fishing. Last weekend Felix, who is only 13, was out muskox hunting and was successful and came back to town to distribute muskox meat to Elders, family and friends in the community. Very proud of you sharing your harvest, remember always to keep doing this by sharing your harvest with others, just like your ancestors did Felix.
God Be With You Son.